Your answer was not the best way to go about responding

Question:

Good day, my brother,

With reference to "God wanted instrumental music before, so why not now?" and the response you posted from a concerned member, I humbly suggest that this was not the best way to go about responding. Some of the things you said were rude and condescending and did not embody gentleness (II Timothy 2:25). The person asking the question stated his position without seeking to insult anyone, and you did not reciprocate this. It is our custom in the churches of Christ to hold our beliefs strongly, which is good, but sometimes, it has caused us to be more combative when faced with opposing views.

In the event that you are wondering what I thought was rude:

  • "Amazing. Twenty years without learning the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament."
  • "Revelation 15 doesn't have 20 verses. I assume you meant Revelation 15:2."
  • "I must conclude that you have no concept of context, meaning, or establishing authority. It is no wonder you promote false teachings in the church."
  • "After twenty years, I would have thought you would have learned how to establish authority."

These are unnecessary for a minister of the gospel, even if you disagree with the person posting the question.

What would some unbeliever think about a church where a minister speaks like this to someone who has a question?

I write this lovingly because I know we are all fighting the same fight and want to make it in the end.

God bless you in your ministry.

Answer:

The answers posted on this site serve several purposes. They answer raised questions and demonstrate to people how questions can be addressed in different situations.

There are several things that you missed about the original "question."

  • Notice that the person isn't really asking a question. His mind is already made up. This is why he wrote such a long argument to defend his position.
  • He emphasized the length of time he was a church member to bolster his credibility. However, the length of time in the church doesn't guarantee wisdom or accuracy.
  • He stated that he didn't like people stating that worshiping with instrumental music was sinful. He thought it was fine.
  • He thought opposing instrumental music in worship was judgmental and without a scriptural basis.
  • He stated that those opposing instrumental music were causing division in the church.
  • He stated that those opposing instrumental music were changing a non-issue into one that determines whether someone is saved.
  • He then laid out his arguments that instrumental music should be used in worship.
  • He wants unity by accepting everyone, even if they have different beliefs -- at least on some issues.
  • Toward the end, he contradicts himself and claims he is not advocating the use of instrumental music in worship, ignoring that most of his letter does that very thing.
  • He claimed that the Old Testament was carried over into the New Testament, contradicting Paul's clear writing to the contrary.

Therefore, how do you deal with a false teacher? Because that is what this man is. When answering a person, you focus on what that person needs most, not what some uninvolved third party might think is best.

Have you ever read:

"He [John the Baptist] said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, "You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and don't begin to say among yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father;' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones! Even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire." The multitudes asked him, "What then must we do?" He answered them, "He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise." Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what must we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than that which is appointed to you." Soldiers also asked him, saying, "What about us? What must we do?" He said to them, "Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages" (Luke 3:7-14).

"Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely demonized!" But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us." But he answered, "I wasn't sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me." But he answered, "It is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that hour" (Matthew 15:21-28).

Paul told Elymas, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13:8).

At times, John, Jesus, and Paul addressed people rudely and with strong words. Loving words have their place, but different situations require different techniques to reach people. When a person refuses to see the danger in front of him or has deceived himself into believing that the course he is pursuing is perfectly fine, a rude awakening is required to get him to see reality. Others may need to be tested, not for the Lord's sake but for their own, to demonstrate the sincerity of their faith. Everyone is not treated in this fashion, but the point is that it has its place in teaching. For more on this see: The Offensive Christ and Jesus: Intolerant, Confrontational, and Exclusionary.

This is why Paul told Timothy, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (II Timothy 4:1-5). Preaching is not limited to exhortations. Reproof ("to expose, chasten, convict") and rebuke ("to censure, to penalize, to punish") also have their place.

My remarks about his claim of being a Christian for 20 years and demonstrating that he doesn't know the differences between the Old and New Testaments point out that his claim for credibility doesn't help his case.

My comment about his citation of Revelation 15:20 clarifies how I attempted to correct a typo on his part. We all make typos, and if I assumed the wrong verse, I wanted him to know how it came about.

The comment about my conclusion is to express clearly that I see his teachings as false and that his supporting arguments are unreasonable.

My final remark was to point out, once again, that his claim to credibility was undermined when he demonstrated an inability to establish authority properly.

Exposing a false teacher is necessary for a preacher. It is fine that you would have worded your reply differently had he written to you, but he wrote to me.

"These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you" (Titus 2:15).

Question:

I'm not against you taking the steps to deal with those you deem to be false. However, your response was different from his. With all due respect to you and your ministry, I'm highlighting the way you responded.

If you wish to take John's route like what he did with the Pharisees that's your choice to do that. My thoughts reading your reply was, "what if an unbeliever reads this?" Our goal is still to win people even if they teach things that are false or things we don't agree with.

Yes, you're right. He did write to you. Yet here I am, thousands of miles away, many years later, reading your reply.

Have a great one, I do hope you keep fighting the good fight.

Answer:

Some seem unwilling to accept that there are different methods of leading people to Christ. If a method selected doesn't match what they would do, it is declared "bad" even when they cannot find fault with the accuracy of what was stated.

Sadly, I am left with the impression that this person would be among the disciples who were more concerned about a false teacher's reaction than about the truth.

"Then the disciples came and said to Him, 'Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?' But He answered and said, 'Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted'" (Matthew 15:12-13).

"Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, 'This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?'" (John 6:60).